Tag: Physics
The plasma physics of grapes in the microwave
Ever wondered why sparks fly when you microwave two closely spaced grapes? While this simple way of generating a spectacular plasma has intrigued the general public, there has also been a long-running debate about exactly what physics is involved in the process. Dr Kwo Ray Chu and his team at National Taiwan University have recently unraveled the physics behind it. […]
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Manijeh Razeghi: The curious life of communication physics
Professor Manijeh Razeghi of Northwestern University, USA, is a pioneer in the world of semiconductors and optoelectronic devices. She was central to the optical fibre telecommunication revolution in the 1980s and 1990s – an integral part of the subsequent information age. In this interview with Research Outreach, Razeghi reveals why she is just as passionate and curious now as when […]
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Creating a unified theory for the fundamental physical interactions
The search for a theory which unifies the Universe’s four known fundamental forces has now endured for over a century. Recently, Dr Joachim Herrmann at the Max-Born Institute, Germany, revisited the geometrisation programme of unified field theory from the 20th century, in combination with the modern theory of elementary particles. He has shown that a possible solution may be found […]
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Exploring transitions to chaos in complex systems
Previously, Dr Alberto Robledo of Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) showed how transitions to chaos in nonlinear systems can be expressed in the language of statistical mechanics. Additionally, in his studies he shows how the same mathematical laws can link these transitions to the behaviours of different types of complex systems. His results may lead to […]
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Obtaining Tsallis entropy at the onset of chaos
Tsallis entropy aims to extend traditional statistical mechanics, but some physicists believe the theory is incompatible with the fundamental principles of thermodynamics. Dr Alberto Robledo of Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) shows for the first time how Tsallis entropy can explain natural phenomena that turn out to be surprisingly linked to the transitions from regular to […]
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The cold, dark secrets of the Universe in few-body physics
Understanding fundamental processes in physics, particularly physics beyond the Standard Model, is no easy task. Experiments and theories looking for new general theories to describe many of the phenomena that are missing in the Standard Model focus on particle physics experiments at places like CERN. Professor Jesús Pérez Ríos of the atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics group at Stony […]
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Retrocausality: How backwards-in-time effects could explain quantum weirdness
Since the earliest days of quantum theory, physicists have struggled to reconcile the apparently nonlocal, faster-than-light interactions demanded by quantum mechanics with the strict laws of relativity. Dr Rod Sutherland at the University of Sydney, Australia, believes that the answer to this problem lies with ‘retrocausality’ – a concept which would allow quantum measurements to influence events in their past. […]
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How geometry expresses the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Physicists have long struggled to explain how the inevitable increase in the universe’s entropy can be reconciled with the reversible laws of quantum mechanics. Now, Professor Chris Jeynes at the University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre, UK, believes he has found a solution in geometry. This new geometrical thermodynamics shows how the stability in time of structures as diverse as […]
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Theory and Experience: Assessing the methodology of physics
The relationship between theories and experiments is a central concept in physics, providing a robust basis for the sum of our knowledge of how the universe works. Yet despite its immense importance, there are still several key aspects of the relationship which physicists can’t agree upon – leading to deep-rooted disputes within the wider research community. In his essay, Theory […]
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Reframing understanding as a phase transition
When understanding comes to us, it can come suddenly. As we finally see how the different parts of a problem fall into place, it can bring about feelings of satisfaction, and perhaps even frustration that we did not discern the seemingly obvious solution beforehand. In their research, Dipl.-Phil. Elena Popova and Professor Valentin Popov at Technische Universität Berlin argue that […]
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